ISSUE 23 Bixby Knolls Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ) (562) 426-0428 th e PAST AND PRESENT COPIES OF THE FELLOWSHIP NEWS MAY BE VIEWED AT www.scribd.com/2468bixby NOVEMBER 17, 2015
Feb 01, 2016
ISSUE 23
Bixby Knolls Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ) (562) 426-0428
the
PAST AND PRESENT COPIES OF THE FELLOWSHIP NEWS MAY BE VIEWED AT www.scribd.com/2468bixby
NOVEMBER 17, 2015
Dear Church, Last week, a global webcast
on climate change was broadcast
over the internet. 45 minutes of
the webcast came from a re-
cording studio in Hollywood, and
I and several dozen other people
were invited to be part of the
audience. On stage were a num-
ber of climate change activists,
along with singer Pharrell Wil-
liams.
At one point, Pharrell was
asked why he was taking part in
this event. He talked about how
he has been blessed; blessed to
do what he loves, and to be
compensated for doing it. And,
he said, “I believe it’s important
to tithe. It’s important to give
back.”
First of all, I was impressed
that he used the word “tithe.” It’s
a word that doesn’t get used
much outside of church. It means
to give ten percent of one’s in-
come back to God (Leviticus
27:30; Malachi 3:30).
Secondly, I was pleased that
Pharrell believed in tithing, and
that, for him, it was rooted in
gratitude for the blessings he has
received. That really is the key to
happiness, according to leaders
of all faiths: gratitude and thank-
fulness.
As we approach the Thanks-
giving holiday, do be sure to
spend some time giving thanks
for all that God has blessed you
with. Ponder and pray about
how you can give back to God.
This is the key to a happier, more
satisfying life.
Blessings,
Pastor Danny
The BKCC Youth Group is for youth in
grades 6-12. Our typical monthly schedule
is as follows:
1st Sunday: youth group activity. (On Dec.
6 we will meet at 6:30 pm)
2nd Sunday: no youth activity
3rd Sunday: youth are invited to join Pastor
Danny and some of our church’s younger
children at the monthly Kidical Mass bike
ride after worship
4th Sunday: BKCC litter pickup after wor-
ship. (The next litter pickup is Nov. 29,
which is actually the 5th Sunday… some-
times changes happen)
Special New Year’s Eve Youth Group: For
the third year in a row, we will have a spe-
cial youth group activity on Dec. 31. This
activity will begin in the early afternoon and
will include fun, service, dinner, a continua-
tion of our preparations for Youth Sunday,
and worship. The event will end at 12:01
a.m. on Jan. 1, 2016! More info to follow.
“Faith walks simply, childlike, between the darkness of human life and the hope of what is to come.”
-Catherine de Hueck Doherty
Christian Women’s Fellowship In December, CWF traditionally
organizes the collection of toys
and clothing for our Disciple mis-
sion, Eastmont Community Cen-
ter, in East LA. The Center has a
Christmas party each year for the
children in their community. This
year the party will be on Decem-
ber 17. The last Sunday to bring
items will be Dec 13 so they can
be delivered in time for the
party. Toys, clothing and gift
items for all ages from preschool
to 16 are needed. A box will be
under the narthex tree for your
donations.
Just a Thankful Note Are you thankful for your church family? Are you thankful for our great Pastor Danny? How about for all the people who do weekly food and cleanup in fel-lowship hall after church? If you are for these and many other unsung heroes of our church, take a mo-ment to stop and thank them in the next week or two. There are communion elders, people who cook for COA, choir members, Susie who cleans, Gretchen, Leo, and Ken Brown who facilitate, Monica who runs the office and everyone else you can think of!
Let them know you appreciate them. Just a simple thank you goes such a long way and means so much. Remember to be thankful as you prepare for your own Thanksgiving day with friends and loved ones.
Blessings Barb P
The church is looking for the donation of a wagon. If you have one or know of someone who has one and would consider donating it, we would love to take it off your or their hands.
With the advent season rapidly approaching, poinset-tias are also in the air. Details coming!
Friday, Nov 27 is the greening of our church. Please join us at 9am as we decorate our church sanctuary for Advent. Help is needed in putting up our Christmas tree and putting on the Chrismons. It is always more fun with lots of people so do come and join in the fun.
After worship service on Sunday, Dec 13, the first of our two Congregational meetings will be held. The meeting will review our 2016 budget and the needs of the church for the upcoming year. Plan to attend this very important meeting.
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” -John F. Kennedy
Stewardship Moment Let’s say you are employed at $15/hour. This means
that you give your employer an hour of your life’s en-
ergy, and your employer gives you $15. It also means
that if you later go to the store and buy something that
costs $15, the real cost to you is one hour of your life.
(Let that sink in for a moment…)
So it’s not really a question of “What do you spend
your money on?” … Rather, it’s a question of “What do
you spend your life on?”
Most of us agree that the ministry of BKCC is one of
the best things we can devote our life to. When you are
at work, you may not always feel like your job is allow-
ing you to live for God, but it really depends on what
you do with the money you earn. Every dollar you give
to the church represents your life energy that you have
given to God.
Bixby Knolls Christian Church is a small congre-
gation that does service and ministry in a big way. We
struggle financially, and every dollar counts. We expect
that our budget for 2016 will again include a deficit; we
approve deficit budgets because we believe in not com-
promising or scaling back the work we do, and we’ll
keep doing this as long as we can. Of course, the
amount you give has an effect on this… Thank you for
your pledges and offerings to the ministry we share.
Rajal taking part in Sunday’s Kidical Mass Bike ride. He,
along with Roheil, Cely, Elliott and Pastor Danny all par-
ticipated in the ride.
The Alternative Christmas is this Sunday, Nov 22. Stop
by the Fellowship Hall after Sunday worship. Items for
sale will be provided by our church members.
Nov 22 Genesis 2:4b-9, 18-23 Nov 29 Jeremiah 33:14-16
Helen Tedesco Sarah Stolze
Phil O’Laughlin Sumbal Sardar
Keri Clark (daughter of M. Lanz) Hattie Johnson
Grace Kobel Porter Family, Ruthie Atkin (friends of B. Smith)
Nargis & family in Pakistan (family of Sumbal Sardar) Keri France (family of A. Hillig)
Venus (friend of A. Hillig) Doug Edwards (family of Bob & Shirley Dickison)
Troop 29 News Bixby Knolls Christian Church is the chartered or-
ganization for Boy Scout Troop 29 (which meets here at
the church) and Boy Scout Ship 529 (which meets at the
Long Beach Sea Base). Being a chartered organization
means that these units are official ministries of BKCC
(not just groups that we provide space to).
This year, Troop 29 is on track for an unprece-
dented number of Eagle scouts. Not many scouts
achieve the rank of Eagle, which makes this an espe-
cially significant year. (You may have noticed one Eagle
Project taking place right here at the church… led by
Harrison Gray, this project has already cleared the jun-
gle of weeds out from the east side of the church!)
Troop 29 meets most Monday evenings at BKCC.
Ginger and Danny Bradfield invite you to
attend the Eagle Scout Court of Honor for
Ethan Bradfield. The ceremony will take
place in the BKCC sanctuary Saturday,
Nov. 21 at 6:00 p.m.
Reminders - Nov 22 - Alternative Christmas
Nov 22 - Thanksgiving Day cards for veterans due
Nov 26 - Thanksgiving Day (office closed)
Nov 27 - Greening of the church
Nov 29 - 1st Sunday of Advent
Dec 6 - Advent Workshop
Dec 6 - 6:30p Youth group
Dec 8 - Board meeting (date change)
Dec 13 - Congregational meeting #1
Dec 13 - Christmas cards for Veterans due
Dec 20 - Choir Cantata - Images of Adoration
Dec 20 - Advent Coffee Hour - CWF hostess
Dec 24 - Christmas Eve Service
Dec 25 - Christmas Day (office closed)
Dec 31 - New Year’s Eve (office closed)
242 cards for Veterans Day were delivered to
the VA hospital. The next date to bring Thanksgiv-ing cards is Sunday Nov 22. Thank you all for sup-
porting this project. Christmas card deadline will be Dec 20.
MONICA WILL BE TAKING 11/23-11/25 AS VACATION TIME.
Activity
CHURCH STAFF: Pastor Daniel Bradfield -Minister Monica Lanz -Church Secretary Barbara Neal-Peebles -Music Director/Organist Suzie Romero - Custodian
BOARD OFFICERS: Leo Dittemore -Board President Scheri Dubon -Vice President Pat Cohen -Secretary Angela Hillig - Treasurer Chrysan Naw - Financial Secretary -Church Clerk
BIXBY KNOLLS CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Disciples of Christ) SUNDAY SCHEDULE: 9:00 a.m. Sunday School for Adults 10:15 a.m. Morning Worship and Children’s Church OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Thursday 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Friday closed
The Fellowship News A publication of Bixby Knolls Christian Church of Long Beach (a Disciples of Christ Church) 1240 E. Carson Street Long Beach, CA 90807 www.bixbyknollschurch.org Editor: Monica Lanz 562-426-0428 [email protected] fax 562-426-0429 Pastor: Daniel Bradfield The Fellowship News is published twice monthly.
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Bixby Knolls Vision Statement To know what the Lord requires of us;
to do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8)
Submit your articles for the next newsletter by
November 30
Help cook food for Christian Outreach in Action (COA). Every 2nd Thursday at 8:00 a.m. in our church kitchen.
Our prayer circle meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. in room 115. Join this dedicated group in praying for our church, community, & world.
Our next litter pickup is Nov. 29 at 11:45 a.m. Help pick up litter in Somerset Park and along our neighborhood side-walks & gutters.
Wednesday Night Dinner: Join us each week at 6pm for a simple yet hearty “pay-what-you-can” meal. (NO dinner on Nov. 25)